Improvement in dumb-waiters for caissons



H. PLAD. DUMB WAITBR FOR oAIssoNs.

0. 7 ,8 l 21 2, V 0 N d e t n e .fu a P Iiuentur.

1N: cams mms co. PHoYoLnrnoN/Asuma HENRY FLAD, or srtoors. MISSOURI.

Letters Patent No. 109,505, dated November 22, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT iN DUMB-WAITERS FOR CAISSONS.

The Schedule referred to in than Letters Patent und making part of the lame.

I HENRY FLAI), of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful DumhVaitcrf for use in Caissons for sink.-

.ing piers; of which the following isa specitication.

Nature and Object of the Invention.-

My dumb-waiter consists of two cylinders, one ot' which is fixed to the top of the air-chamber and cxtends vertically through the same. rlhis cylinder is open at bottom and contains the other cylinder, which has-vertical movement therein iu themanner oi' a plunger.

The inne-r cylinder has two horizontal diaphragme, forming a chamber at about its mid-length, the said chamber being open yat the. `opposite sides, the outer cylinder having lopenings agreeing with those oi' the inner one when thelattcr is in its upper position.

The interior cylinder works airftight in thc outer one, either by interior collars of thc latter which are made to iit the formcr,or by means oi' any suitable packing, such as leather, hemp, or rubber.

The object of my invention 1s the conveyance of material from outside into the working or air-chamber of the caisson, ort-icc versc, without the tedious process heretofore employed in the use of aix-Jocks.

My dumb-waiter operates bythe weight ot' thc material, or by tbcpressure oi' air, withoutrequiring any special machinery. v

Figure 1 shows my dumb-waiter partly in elevation 4and partly in section at *the liue'X X, iig. 2, the inner cylinder being in its upper position.

Figure 2 is a horizontal scot-imi at the line Y Y, lig. l.

Figure 3 shows halt' the inner' cylinder in side view, and the other half ot' this cylinder with the outer cylluder, in section at thc line s z, iig. 2, the inner cylinder being in its lower position.

Ais the top of thel air chamber ot' a caisson for sinkingpiers ot' bridges, Sac.

B is acylinder secured to the top ot' A by means of a ilange, O,and bolts, c. This cylinder has a head, l), secured by bolts, d.

c a are India-rubber or other gaskets.

lassing through the head D is the upper end e oi' au air-pipe, E, the lower end c of the pipe passing through the top A of the main air-chamber of the caisson. 'lhis pipe forms a connection between the said air-chamber aud the upper part ot' the cylinder B.

The pipe E has a valve or cock, F, by which it may be wholly,or partially closed.

G is a waste-pipe communicating with the inside of the cylinder B and with thcouter air. `This pipe has avalve or cock, H, by' which it maybe closed or opened, more or less.

Attached to the lower side of t-hc ilauge C (of the cylinder B) by bolts, i, passing through the anges C and I, is a'cylinder, J, forming a downward continuation ot' the cylinder B, aud extending through a circular opening, K, in the top of the air-chamber.

-L is the inner cylinder, which has vertical movement in the outer cylinder by means oi thc pressure of -air above and beneath it.

The cylinder L has two horizontal diapliraguis, M

and M', dividing it into three compartments, the lower one, l, of which-is' open at bottoni. The upper compartment 1' is closed by a' lhead, L', which may be removed to allow't-he placing within thc compartment ot' a weight to act as' ii partial eountcrbalancc tothe.,

pressure of air beneath thc cylinder.

lhe' middle col'npartmcnt N has side plates, n, ex-

tending from one diaphragm to the other, and giving thc said comlnirtmcnt a rcct-angnlaribrm. '.Lhis'compartmcnt-is open at one or bot-l1 oi' the sides, to admit the matcrialsA to be com-eycdfrom the outside to the inside oi' the air-chamber, or ricercrsa.

'llie outer -cylinder B-has also one or more openings,

b, whiclr allow connnunicatiou with the compartment Nwhcn thc cylinder L 'is iu its uppcr position, as in` lig. l. I

l'n constructing the cylinder L, its outside is carefully turned, aml-prctcrably drawiiled so as to have a slnootlrsnriacc, und equal diameter from cud to end, and it is made to accnratcly'iit the interior circumfer-` ential rib'b of the cylinder and ribsjyv ofthe cylinder J, $0 that thcrc will be little or no escape of air l between thc cylinder L and the ribs, the inner face ot' the latter heilig carefully prepared. In place of the ribs b,. 7', and j', may be substituted a packing of leather, hcmp, rubber, or other substance, i Y Y with means et" moisteniug or lubricating the same, sov as .to make an air-tight joint, and allow the easy movenient of the cylinder.

'lhe head L ofv the cylinder L extends outward beyond vthe cylinder, forming a ilange, L, which, when the cylinder is in itslo\\'c1"position, rests upon a rubber gasket or packing, b, upon the top of the rib lf;- and the lower cud of the cylinder L has au out-turned flange, O, upon which is a packing-ring of rubber, o,- that, when thc cylinder rises to its upper' position, is brought in contact with the .cylinder J, the rubber vpackings making an air-tight joint when the cylinder is at rest-in either its upper or lower position.

l is a spring catch, whose. claw takes beneath the cud of thc cylinder Lwheu the latter is in its upper position, aud sustains the cylinder while loading; and a catch or chock would he provided to hold the' cylinder in its lower position.l 'lhe weight of the load is generally suiicient to cause the cylinder to descend, and on the removal ofthe load the pressure of air beneath overcomes the weight of the cylinder and causes it to rise to the upper position.

The construction of thecaisson to which mydnmbwaiter is an accompaniment is notv describeth'as its provisions are well known to the profession. -1 t consiste substantially of a structure having a top agreeing in area with the base of the' pier, and sides, resting upon the ground, there 'being no bottom, and therwater and mnd being kept ont by a snicient pressure ot' air.

The-operation ofthe dumb-waiter is as follows:

t Snpposing the moving cylinder L tobe inits upper position, and the valve or cock -F closed, the heads of both cylinders B and L may be removed, and-their]- ner `cylinder loaded by placing stones or' any heavyv matter in the upper compartment so that the weight ot' the cylinder when loaded may approximate to the upward pressure of air beneath it. The heads of the cylinders are then secured in their places. A-load of concrete or other material is placed in the compartment N, and the catch lJ drawn outward so as to per- -imit the loaded cylinder to'descend. l 1t' the weight of the load is not sntncient to canse the descent ot' the cylinder, the valve H of the paste-pipe isfclosed and the valve l" somewhat opened to admit aquantity of co1 ,pressed air into the-top ofthe cylinder B. The topfpl ssure, iu addition to the weight, will then carry the cylinder' downward until the flange L" l'ests upon thc packing-gasket b'f. Thecompartment N will then be within the main air-chamber, andthe loadmay be removed, which will so lighten the cylinder thattle pressure of ain beneath it vwill force it upward ready for a fresh load. If the friction of the cylinder-'is so great as to prevent its rising, the valve H is opened to allow the escape of' a port-ion ot' -the-compressed an' from above the inncrcylinder, and the latter will then rise.

In removing matter from the air-chamber, said lmatter is placed in the compartment N when the cylinder is in its lower position, and the cock or valve H being opened, and. that- F closed, the pressure oftair beneath the cylinderwill force it upward. The cock or valve H is then closed, and the matter removed from the compartment. The valve F is then opened suicien'tly. to cause the descent of the cylinder for another load;

f Claim.

1. A cylinder or convcyer of other form, having vertical rnovement in a closely-i'nclosing cylinder or case with means of operating or balancing the eonveyer by compressed air to enable material to be removed from or carlied'into the working vor air-chamber of the eaissoinin mannelsubstantially as described. f

2. The cylinder L, having a cavity, N, for reception of matter to be carried into oront of the air-chamber, the inclosingcylimlcr B J attached to the top A of the air-chamber, and havingr the interior collars or rings b'jj' or'other packing to check or prevent the escape ot' air, and the pipes E G communicating with the upper part of the fixedl cylinder' and, with theI air-chamber and outer air, respectively, each substantially as described.

1n testimony ot which invention I hereunto set my hand. t

HENRY FLAD.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, CHARLES IFnrnnn. 

